NAMIBIA: First Safari With KHOMAS HIGHLAND HUNTING SAFARIS

[meigsbucks]

You’re having a great hunt. Taking some nice trophies. Your enthusiasm coming thru in your telling of your adventure..

 

[Hookboy88]

We head back to camp and enjoyed a good meal and set around the fire for awhile. I head to bed and I am up the next morning ready to try for Blue Wildebeest.
Me and Issac ended up stalking a herd all morning long. We got maybe 40 yards from them at one point but the brush was to thick to shoot through. They busted us and ran off into the open about 550 yards off and look at us. Issac points out the biggest bull in the herd and tells me that he wants to get a shot at him if we can. On the way back to camp we seen a herd of six bulls but they hightailed out of there. Issac tells me that we will let the area calm down for a bit and go have lunch and head back for the wildebeest that evening.

I try to take a nap but was unable to do so. I meet Issac at 4 o’clock and we are off. We check the area and don’t see anything. Issac tells me that the Wildebeest are laid up in the brush and that he wants to hit the brush and see if we bump them. We take off and before long we see the wildebeest slipping around. They take off and go down hill across on open stretch of land and then hit the bushes on the another hillside. We slowly sneak that way and Issac gets us into position to see the herd good. As we are standing there in the bushes we see the Bull step out and stop. Issac sets the sticks up and tells me to take him. I get settled in and send a round. We hear the hit and Issac tells me that he is hit good. The herd leaves and we walk up to the top of the hill and see my Bull laying down. Issac tells me to finish him and I do so off hand at about 100 yards. We walk up and I was very happy with my Bull.

 

[Hookboy88]

Sometime around this point I started to loose track of the days and dates. I was having a blast and just really didn’t care about much other than the fact I was hunting in Africa. At one point I wake up to texts from my family wishing me a happy Birthday and remember checking the date and it was indeed my Birthday and I had no idea lol.

After getting my Blue Wildebeest we headed back to camp and a few of us enjoyed a few glasses of whiskey. I got up the next morning felling the effects of the night before and me, Issac and Afex were off. I told Issac I really wanted a Baboon and sure enough we seen several early on, but I wasn’t fast enough. We drive by a pond and see Baboon running everywhere. Issac tells me which one is a big male and I find him in the scope and have my Baboon.

That evening the whole camp went out bird hunting. It was a fun time and we ate the fowl we got for supper. I actually killed my first water fowl in Africa. We all used some of Philip’s shotguns.

The next morning I met Issac and we are off to hunt Kudu again. We see some Kudu Females and some young bulls early. I am feeling good about this morning with all the animals we are seeing. We round a bend and Issac tells Afex to stop. He looks with his Binos and I can see an animal a long ways off. Issac tells me that it’s a nice Kudu Bull and that we need to stalk it. As I am dismounting Issac tells me that there’s another good Bull with it! We head off and I am following Issac and telling myself not to mess up this time. We slowly stalk with Issac glassing now and again. We sneak up behind some
Rocks and Issac peaks over and whispers for me to get ready. I will have to use the rocks as a shooting platform. I get set up and Issac tells me to the shot the one in the back. I settle in and get it in the scope and...start shaking like crazy! I have not got buck fever in a long time and this was the first time I got it in Africa too. My arms are shaking, legs are shaking and I try to calm myself down. Issac whispers that I need to make a good shot. I get the crosshairs settled and send a bullet. I hear the hit and watch the Bull jump. Then it’s off in the bushes. Issac tells me that it seemed hit hard and we head off. We head high and see the one bull running but don’t see mine. We look around and see mine about 350 yards off. He is limping badly. Issac sets up the sticks and I try again and miss. I work the bolt and send another round and hear the hit. The Bull walks behind some bushes and Issac moves up. I am looking for the Bull when Issac signals me up and tells me that it is standing in front of a tree. It’s takes me a minute to see it but I finally do and get on the sticks. It’s standing broadside and I shot again and hear the hit and watch the Bull jump. It runs off and I load my last two bullets I have with me. We sneak around a dry creek bed in the area we last seen it when Issac tells me he can see its horns. He radios Afex to bring his Hunting dog, Lucky, to us. A few minutes later and Afex and Lucky are with us. Issac told me the Bull is in the high grass and setting down looking around. We sneak that way and turn Lucky loose. Lucky runs up and starts barking and I see my Kudu Bull stand up. I aim and miss and the Bull turns Broadside and runs about 50 yards in front of me and I shoot again and he cut a flip. I tell Afex that I am happy he was down because that was my last round lol. We take some pictures and load him up.

 

[Hookboy88]

We head back into camp and I am still excited about my Kudu. We drop it off and I tell Issac that the only animal left on my list is a Jackel. I was wanting one to do a soft tan on and Philip let me use his 243 so I would not mess the hide up. We got my Jackel a couple
Days later around the lake on Philips Farm... After I missed several of them first lol.

I also spent one evening doing a meat hunt on a neighboring farm and took three Gemsbok for that farmer.

Then one morning I went out and shot some Fowl for the table at camp.

Then I had to get my PCR test and prepare to fly back to the states. The flight home was a long one.

All in all I had a very enjoyable time and I am sure I won’t forget it anytime soon. I am already making plans for my return trip. I wouldn’t change anything about my trip other than the fact I would have added a few more days.

 

[curtism1234]

An enjoyable read, thanks. How far do you think you walked each day?

 

[Hookboy88]

An enjoyable read, thanks. How far do you think you walked each day?

Honestly it just depended on the day and what animals we chased. For my BW and my Hartebeest we walked a lot. A lot of people told me to be ready to walk my feet off after Zebra but I got lucky fast on my Zebra and didn’t have to walk any crazy distance for it. With that said it was spot and stalk hunting so be prepared to walk. I am not a little guy at all and faired okay thou.

 

[curtism1234]

Honestly it just depended on the day and what animals we chased. For my BW and my Hartebeest we walked a lot. A lot of people told me to be ready to walk my feet off after Zebra but I got lucky fast on my Zebra and didn’t have to walk any crazy distance for it. With that said it was spot and stalk hunting so be prepared to walk. I am not a little guy at all and faired okay thou.

I was actually making sure it was enough walking. Thanks

 

[Hookboy88]

Hello again Hookboy88,

Thanks for that info.
I’m always curious what other hunters use for rifles, as well as specific ammunition and sighting arrangement.

I am familiar with that rifle.
A fellow I have known since childhood used it in 2017, with perfect success.
The various .300 Magnums, with 180 grain and on up to heavier bullets plus, a quality scope are pretty close to perfect, for long shots across the canyons, up there in the Khomas Hochland Highlands.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

Yes the gun and Optic did good for me. I forgot the Brand of Optic but it was German made and performed good. I am a big fan of the 300 win mag myself.

 

[Randy F]

Congratulations on your successful hunt. You took some very nice animals.

 

[Hookboy88]

I was actually making sure it was enough walking. Thanks

Yes you don’t really shoot from the truck there. I greatly enjoyed the stalking because I am a mainly a south east whitetail hunter and do most of my hunting from a tree stand so it was it nice change.

 

[cls]

Congratulations on a very successful safari, thanks for the report

 

[Rick Cox]

You had a great hunt and I enjoyed your report! I have to say, if I can ever wrangle another trip to Africa (fingers crossed) Khomas Highland Hunting Safaris would be on my short list of outfitters.

 

[MAdcox]

Congratulations on a great hunt and your introduction to Africa!
I love reading this report. My first trip to Africa was just in 2017 and reading your report brought back all that first-time excitement to me. I also had a birthday halfway through my first trip.
Thanks for the write up.

 

[postoak]

A great hunt! You are a good shot, too. Like you, I lost track of the days. How many hunting days did you have?

 

[Hookboy88]

A great hunt! You are a good shot, too. Like you, I lost track of the days. How many hunting days did you have?

I arrived on the 6th of August and left on the 20th. Not nearly long lol!

 

[Tra3]

Nice animals! Sounds like it was a great hunt.

Did you have a favorite game meat that you ate?

What are you planning for a return hunt?

 

[Hookboy88]

Nice animals! Sounds like it was a great hunt.

Did you have a favorite game meat that you ate?

What are you planning for a return hunt?

Yes I was very fond of the Zebra. All the food was good but in my opinion Zebra really stood out.

I would like to hunt Eland. I never really thought too much about Eland until I seen the one mounted in the club house. After seeing that huge thing I decided I had to get back and get me one.

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats on your hunt and thanks for sharing!

 

[Scandalous Bob]

Great report. Thanks for sharing. No better way to celebrate a birthday, if you ask me.

 

[AZDAVE]

Thank you for sharing, you took some fine animals and it is always nice to read a report from someone that is on their first safari.